National Guard Delay Likely to Be Examined

[FormerRepublican]

"WASHINGTON - Several states ready and willing to send National Guard troops to the rescue in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans didn't get the go-ahead until days after the storm struck — a delay nearly certain to be investigated by Congress.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson offered Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco help from his state's National Guard on Sunday, the day before Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana. Blanco accepted, but paperwork needed to get the troops en route didn't come from Washington until late Thursday.

California troops just began arriving in Louisiana on Friday, three days after flood waters devastated New Orleans and chaos broke out.

In fact, when New Orleans' levees gave way to deadly flooding on Tuesday, Louisiana's National Guard had received help from troops in only three other states: Ohio, which had nine people in Louisiana then; Oklahoma, 89; and Texas, 625, figures provided by the National Guard show.

Maj. Gen. Thomas Cutler, who leads the Michigan National Guard, said he anticipated a call for police units and started preparing them, but couldn't go until states in the hurricane zone asked them to come.

"We could have had people on the road Tuesday," Cutler said. "We have to wait and respond to their need."

The Michigan National Guard was asked for military police by Mississippi late Tuesday and by Louisiana officials late Wednesday. The state sent 182 MPs to Mississippi on Friday and had 242 headed to Louisiana on Saturday.

With many states' Guard units depleted by deployments to Iraq, Katrina's aftermath was almost certain from the beginning to require help from faraway states.

Republicans and Democrats alike in Congress are just beginning to ask why one of the National Guard's most trusted roles — disaster relief — was so uneven, delayed and chaotic this time around.

Sen. Chuck Hagel (news, bio, voting record), R-Neb., said the situation has shown major breakdowns in the nation's emergency response capabilities. "There must be some accountability in this process after the crisis is addressed," he said.

Democrat Ben Nelson, Nebraska's other senator, said he now questions National Guard leaders' earlier assertions that they had enough resources to respond to natural disasters even with the Iraq war."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050903/ap_on_re_us/katrina_national_guard

This just turns my stomach. It's clear that needed relief was held up by the Bush Administration. The question is - why?

I freaking hate Bush and the whole horse he rode in on.

[AtomicKitten]

1. Faux news

is trying desperately to blame the local government, but obviously ordering in the National Guard comes from the top of the food chain. Although they are tap-dancing feverishly, I see no way these weasels will spin their way out of this disaster.

[formernaderite]

13. ordering the guard comes from the top of the state govt,,,,

the governor to be exact. I don't know who her advisors were....but not people who knew what to do. The feds can't get involved with ordering troops to a state. We seriously don't want that precedent set. It has to be the state initiating the order and why was she a day later than Mississippi in asking for Michigans guard? Blanco also fucked up on ordering enough of her own states guard. Not sure why but it seems she was over her head. On Wednesday her big proclamation was to order it a day of prayer....please. <p>Bush and FEMA fucked up big time...but I don't think you can say the idiocy didn't go all the way down to the mayor. ALL of these people should be fired.

[TheFriar]

2. When will Brown get his Medal of Freedom?

Bush always rewards incompetence and his administration's response to Katrina is certainly as fine an example of the inept as we are likely to see in our lifetimes.

[ps1074]

11. Welcome to DU

:hi:

[Emit]

3. According to FEMA, they did send in the NG

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4602266


I hear ya' FormerRepublican, this is making me sick.

There's the reality-based community and then there's the Bush & Co. reality.

[LunaSea]

4. Let me guess, they'll be a "wall" that prevented the paperwork from

getting through.
Are they kidding?

[rodeodance]

6. " Civilian Reserve Air Fleet,"-could have been activated also!

....In addition to Guard help, the federal government could have activated, but did not, a major air support plan under a pre-existing contract with airlines. The program, called Civilian Reserve Air Fleet, lets the government quickly put private cargo and passenger planes into service.

The CRAF provision has been activated twice, once for the Persian
Gulf War and again for the Iraq war......

[Emit]

8. According to FEMA, they did!

U.S. Airlines Provide Emergency Airlift For New Orleans Evacuees
http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=18567

Release Date: September 2, 2005

ATA to Coordinate Unprecedented Civilian Relocation Program for Federal Government

Washington, DC, September 2, 2005 - The Department of Homeland Security, the Air Transport Association and the Department of Transportation today announced that the airline industry has launched "Operation Air Care" to provide emergency airlift to more than 25,000 New Orleans residents stranded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

<<snip>>

"This extraordinary civilian airlift is unprecedented in U.S. history, and is a shining example of how America can come together to help those in need," said ATA President and CEO James C. May. "Our member airlines have willingly offered to help the federal government get the job done and we will continue these efforts until they are no longer needed."

"We've cleared the runways and are watching the skies to make sure these humanitarian flights get in and out safely," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta. "From the moment Hurricane Katrina passed, the DOT has been working around the clock to put the people and equipment in place to sustain a massive airlift operation."

The plan, which was crafted late in the evening Thursday, allowed the first flight to New Orleans at 8 a.m. today. Participating airlines will provide aircrafts and service to airlift evacuees. Flights will depart from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport to sites designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, such as Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

[Festivito]

16. Yesterday. Days into the dying, more days into the knowing. nt.

[keopeli]

5. These people have no shame. I can't wait to hear the excuses. Maybe WMDs

Something's really gone haywire. Typically, Rove is all over this kind of stuff. Maybe his pending indictment has distracted him. It seems the wheels have really fallen off the cart for Bush's media love affair.

[rodeodance]

7. recommended

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. Tom Delay Likely to be Examined

The paperwork needed to get him indicted still hasn't been processed by Washington.

[OneTwentyoNine]

10. Something for an oversight committee perhaps?? n/t

[applegrove]

12. We need the names of the victims in the Superdome. Bush needs

to be asked about the murdered children directly. By name.

[Eloriel]

14. NOMINATED -- "The question is - why?"

I have my own theory, and a lot of other strange information here:

ATTN DU RESEARCHERS -- LIHOP/MIHOP evidence stacking up
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4588088&mesg_id=458808

[corkhead]

15. All for a friggin' photo op, and my repuke newspaper didn't even run one!

:applause:

[Independent_Liberal]

17. Kick!

[Pallas180]

18. THAT'S THE ONE. YAY!! Thanks Former Republican

:bounce: